Quote of the Day

...well, yesterday.

When somebody does not do the job, we gotta let 'em go. - Clint Eastwood.

Hey, Romeny/Ryan, if you, by chance, get elected the same sentiment applies to you as well.

And Then There Were None

I finished re-reading Eric Frank Russell's And Then There Were None. It's an excellent read and the society Russell created here is attractive as hell but as with must Utopian visions there is a problem. In the story it only works because the Terrans have rules that control how they interact with a new world. They can't meet violence unless faced with it and they follow their rules. That's a kind idealism governments never follow. The rules are for the little people. Maybe add a bit of the libertarian's armed pacifism and you might get a different result. Then again, it would probably still be like herding cats.

You can read the novelette here.

Situational Awareness

For more go pick up Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace 1953-1954.

Enjoy.

Blood in the Streets?

In San Antonio Texas, a husband stabbed his wife during an argument. a CCW permit holder stepped up, drew his weapon, and ordered the husband to surrender. He did and no innocent bystanders were injured. So tell me how a concealed permit holder doing their duty as a responsible citizen can only make things worse?

H/T to David.

Not a bad day's work.

In Charlotte, North Carolina two enterprising young robbers* tried to rob to Hispanic gentlemen walking along the street. One robber was armed. The two gentlemen fought back, and one was able to disarm and shoot the gunman in the chest. The finally tally was one gentleman shot in the hand, one robber seriously wounded, and one robber at large. Not a bad day's work.

H/T to Sean.

Bill Whittle: The Incredible Shrinking Man

I need something calming and soothing ...

...right now. There's a bunch happening right now in my life and the only thing certain is the uncertainty. This picture from Theo's kinda does it for me at the moment.

Oh, and this one from The Feral Irishman.

That's what I needed...

...at just the right moment.

Thanks, Borepatch.

Seems to me the lips on that dog should be kissin'...

...a bit higher.

$%&@#

The price was $3.99 in north Durham County today.

UPDATE: Dropped to $3.83 overnight: fricking roller coaster.

Stay tuned for a WTF moment.

[Expletives Deleted]

Deaf boy's name violates weapons policy: School

In Nebraska, a three year old preschool boy who is deaf uses sign language to spell his name. The first letter of his name extends his thumbs and index fingers in a gun shape. The local school board says the sign for the letter "H" violates their zero tolerance weapons policy. Their solution? They told the boy's parents to change his name. I hope the parents gave them a rousing screw you and my attorney will be in touch. Policies such as this are what bureaucrats do instead of think. The ridicule they're going to get over this one is well earned and hopefully will remain come re-election time.

H/T to David.

From the horse's mouth

An NYPD officer speaks out on their firearms training.

H/T to Mike V.

Analysis of the Empire State Building...

...shooting.

Ron Larimer also notes what I'm ashamed to have neglected. Whatever the quality of the gun handling skills and tactics used by the NYPD officers involved in the shooting, they showed a lot of guts to to rush and engage a man who had already proven his willingness to take a life. You have to admire that.

H/T to Sebastian.

In a nutshell

UPDATE: Then there's this...shudder.

Compare and Contrast

Sanjay Sanghoee argues that if a police shootout could be such a clusterfuck it would be so much worse if "untrained" civilian gun owners were also shooting at the evil git. Ya know, blood in the streets and all that.

NYPD officers shoots one evil git and nine bystanders on crowded street.

CCW Permit Holder shoots and wounds two clueless armed robbers in a crowded Orlando Internet Cafe. No bystanders harmed.

It's a bullshit argument Sanjay, but you knew that. Mine may be as well, but the difference is I acknowledge these incidents are fluid, stressful, and that average police officer isn't really trained to deal with them any more than an average permit holder. But police officers manage to rise to the occasion, as do permit holders and a permit holder couldn't have made the situation worse in New York City. It was already about as bad as it could get.

Three Yards

The two NYPD officers that shot the evil git in NYC yesterday fired sixteen rounds of duty ammunition. They hit the evil git seven times. They were reported to have been less than ten feet from said evil git. That's three yards or three normal strides. That's point blank range and their percentage of hits was less than fifty percent.

I understand shooting under stress is much different from shooting paper targets at the range. Even tactical training and combat courses do little to replicate that stress, but the human torso is a big target at three yards. Glenn's right. If a civilian had done this Bloomberg would be having a fit. I've been taught if you shoot an evil git in a crowd and hit him you're a hero. When your rounds hit the bystanders instead, or as well, it's not accidental...it's negligent. Just saying.

I work with retired NYPD officers. I'm told they qualify with their weapons twice a year. They can also use the range for practice. With something like 30,000 officers to get through qualification twice a year and special units using the range to train I'm sure that leaves little time for extracurricular shooting.

I don't have a solution other than more better training. Sebastian has some good suggestions that would probably cause Bloomberg to choke so I'm game if for that alone.

Astronaut Neil Armstrong dies at age 82

He's taken his next leap.

Rest in peace

Now that's funny.

If you don't have a clue as to the reference you can get educated here.

The village idiot...

...is running on the GOP ticket in Missouri for the Senate. God help us all.

In Norway...

...if you murder seventy-seven people in cold blood you're sentenced to ten to twenty-two years. Huh? Justice in "civilized" Europe. Go figure.

In Bloomberg's nanny state...

...at least seven people shot before shooter put down by the NYPD. Wait a second, doesn't New York City have some of the strictest gun control in the country ? It's working well ain't it. To paraphrase a infamous Chicagoan, "Bloomberg's chickens have come home to roost."

My prayers go to the victims.

Update: So it wasn't a mass shooting, at least not in the usual sense. A terminated worker shot and killed his former co-worker or boss. It appears the others were shot by police when they opened fire and killed the shooter, but the NYPD has on more than one occasion demonstrated when using their weapons in the line of duty, they prefer quantity over quality.

Workplace violence, no better in the end for the wounded and dead.

Bloomberg's still a dick.

More here.

Heh.

I'm with Costello.

Abbott and Costello explain Obama's Accounting System.

I'd be funny if it weren't so damn sad.

H/T to PISSED.

Only minor bruises?

LL Cool J nabs burglar who broke into his house

H/T to The Duck.

Update: The Last 24 Hours

I posted a while back on my son's illness. They gave us a tentative diagnosis of POTS but we got word last week that he has lyme disease. The POTS diagnosis struck me as a default because they couldn't pin it on anything else. We probably wouldn't have the lyme diagnosis if the estranged wife hadn't insisted on a second test for it. I'm hoping all the symptoms will clear up with treatment. Anyway, my thanks to those of you who put us in your prayers.

Seriously?

School withholds valedictorian’s diploma for saying “hell”

Well, that's fucked up and so's that moralistic little prick Rich Martin. My my, don't this guy have a way with words. Ditto.

Ain't that the truth!

A line there about the evil git being brainwashed by the SPLC would make it even more on the spot.

I wonder who his ghost writer[s] was?

OIG Report On Fast And Furious Delivered To Holder For Review

OK, so maybe the Inspector General wrote it himself, but you know damn well the inspiration and plot came from the White House.

H/T to John.

Knife vs. Gun, Gun Wins...sorta.

In Burke County North Carolina a robber entered a store and held a large knife to a clerks throat. When the clerk fought back the robber fled. The clerk followed him out of the store and shot at him three times. He missed. The reason I said sorta is that it appeared to me the robber lost his cojones as soon as the clerk grabbed at the knife and was in full flight and outside the front door before the clerk even had a chance to pull his weapon and fire. In any event it turned out OK with the clerk unharmed and the cowardly robber in custody and it goes to show that giving in to these bottom feeders is never a viable option.

H/T to John.

In the News

Temple massacre has some Sikhs mulling gun ownership

...and some have already made up their minds.

A Quiz

You see a man parks his car on a bridge, climbs the rail, and prepares to jump. What do you do?

1. Ignore it. 
2. Call the police.
3. Try to stop him.
4. Take video so you can later sell it for profit. 

Based on what I've seen in the news, no one chose option number three, but several people had time to video tape the incident. At least one of those callus, worthless pricks is hawking the video he took for profit. The real question is what the f%&k is wrong with people? 

Sword vs. Gun. Gun Wins.

In Las Vegas, a man armed with a sword tried to rob a Dairy Queen. An employee shot and killed him. LVPD is investigating and haven't decided yet whether they will charge the employee. Figures.

Don't mess with the Mama, and for God's sake don't threaten the children.

In Alabama, Mama heard her front door being kicked in, called the police, grabbed her gun, and joined her daughters upstairs. The daughters armed themselves with ax and butcher knife and waited with Mama at the top of the stairs for the poor stupid son of a bitch who broke into the house. It ended pretty much as you probably expected. Mama shot him. He stumbled out of the house to be collected by the police. He in custody in a local hospital in stable condition. Mama and daughters are just fine.

“It wasn’t like, oh can I pull the trigger? It was like when should I shoot? When will he be close enough that I know I won’t miss him? That’s one of the things that was going through my mind,” she said.

H/T to Sean.

In [formerly] Great Britain...

That's pretty fricking funny. Convenience Store Clerks are pretty much the same all over. Bureaucrats too, sad to say.

Just a thought...

Hey GOP. Don't get cocky.

[image source: The Emerging Critic]

Bill Whittle: A Great Way to Win and Lose

Egypt

Harry Harrison RIP

Harry Harrison wrote the Stainless Steel Rat and Deathworld novels but i think I liked his Stars and Stripes trilogy best but then I've always had a fondness for alternate histories.

Joe Kubert RIP

Joe Kubert dies at 85; comics artist created 'Sgt. Rock'

Joe Kubert co-created Sgt Rock with Robert Kanigher. He drew Hawkman, Tarzan, Korak, Enemy Ace, Haunted Tank, and any number of other titles.  Rest in Peace Mister Kubert.

UPDATE: The image has been changed to one actually drawn by Mr. Kubert. A friend called to my attention the other was by Russ Heath. Man do I feel like a dummy. 

I still say it was a hell of a shot.

Ark. police reconstruct handcuffed shooting

Why would anyone possibly need an assault rifle?

In South Carolina three robbers drove a vehicle through the wall of a gun store to be met by the owner armed with an AR-15 and a full 30 round magazine. The end result was an empty magazine, one bad guy dead, and the remnant wounded in the local hospital.

H/T to John.

Boy Scout

There was a shooting in Texas...

...near Texas A&M. three dead including the shooter. This is the extent of any publicity I'll give the matter. The media's constant reporting on these things contributes to copycats. Enough is enough. My prayers go to the victim's and their families.

Quote of the Day

Paul Ryan represent[s] Obama's most horrifying nightmare: math. - Iowahawk

Interesting.

Gray State

This is a concept trailer for an independent film. The producers are trying to drum cash to make the film. If you're interested go take a look here.

So it's Ryan

At least he's pro-gun. For a Washington politician, he's a fiscal conservative. If I vote GOP in the coming election it will be for Ryan not Romney.

Who the hell am I kidding. Any vote I cast in November is against Obama. I'd really, for once, like a candidate I can vote for.

Quote of the Day...

...via Kevin at The Smallest Minority.

We all know this one:

If you've got a business…you didn't build that.

Somebody else made that happen.

~ Barack Obama

That's not the QotD. I told you that so I could tell you this:

If you're claiming you got bin Laden...…you didn't do that.

Somebody else made that happen.

~ A Vietnam Vet

That oughta leave a mark.

In formerly Great Britain...

...a spectator at the Olympic men's cycling road race was arrested...for not smiling. Turns out he had Parkinson's Disease and couldn't, but arrested for not smiling. The cops called it a possible breach of the peace...for not smiling while watching the race. I guess he fit a profile.

Sixty-seven years ago today...

...the Japanese submitted a formal declaration of surrender. The surrender wasn't made public for four more days. Members of the Japanese army attempted to seize Hirohito and the declaration before it could be transmitted to prevent the end of the war. Elements loyal to the Emperor prevented them. That leads me to this comment. My father was staged with the invasion force waiting to invade Japan. Because of the dropping of the atomic bombs Japan surrendered and he became part of the Army of the Occupation. I don't know that my Dad wouldn't have survived the landings. I don't know that he would have, but the the estimates were that loses might climb as high as one million. I do know that he came home in 1946, and he and my Mom began a family. I was born fourteen years later. I'm glad they dropped the bombs. So was my Dad.

It's the thought that counts...

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), an outspoken critic of just about everything President Obama supports, is considering introducing a bill that would repeal everything Obama has signed into law.

I'd be happy if Romney's first act as President was to issue an executive order revoking every executive order signed by Obama.

Fat, fracking chance to both.

H/T to Jeff.

Sixty-Seven years ago today....

...an atomic bomb was drooped on Nagasaki, Japan.

Total Recall

I remember enjoying the original Total Recall but I haven't watched it in at least ten years. I've found with age Schwarzenegger's one liners aren't as funny and while I've always liked him as a performer I'd never go so far as to call him an actor. I liked the remake better. Like most Hollywood sci fi you have to turn the logic circuits off before you go into the theater. This was grittier and I like gritty. I also like Colin Farrell in the lead better than Schwarzenegger. Farrell can act. There's also Kate Beckinsale. The story is pretty much the same but I prefer Len Wiseman's direction to that of Paul Verhoeven who can go to hell for Starship Troopers. I like the way Wisemen's films look. The action was good and there were neat guns. Did I say there's Kate Beckinsale?

Phil Berger wants a donation?

Don't think so.

Dance with the one who brung ya.

I can carry one magazine...

...holding seventeen rounds [+ one in the chamber*] or two ten round magazines. In the end there is no difference.



The prohibitionist's point isn't how many rounds we can shoot at one time, but that we have any at all. First they'll ban the high capacity magazines, then limit the number we can own. finally they'll bar ownership of any magazine fed weapon. It's called a slippery slope and we live it every day.

H/T to Uncle. *Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm, for those who care. 

Why yes..she is...

...and Romney and his team are cowardly for not letting her speak at the convention.

H/T to Pissed.

Who Built This?

Need you ask?

H/T to Theo.

I can't say it any better.

I also suggest you read Sean's Were you waiting for an invitation? and Lawdog's Wisconsin.

Sixty-seven years ago today....

...an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.

Why yes...we are.

Gun owners are paranoid …

With good damn reason.

Heh

Liberal Supervillains

From over at The Looking Spoon.

WI: The blood's not even dry...

...and gun control proponents are already dancing through it.

H/T to Theo.

...one hell of a shot.

I'm not one to automatically accuse the police of wrong doing in any incident and I'm not doing that here. One thing I know is I haven't gotten all of the facts from the MSM and bloggers but.... Yes, there's that word but.

BUT if the suspect was properly handcuffed with his hands behind his back, removing a firearm from concealment on his person and shooting himself in the temple would be one hell of a shot. Just saying. H/T to Eapen.

A mass shooting in Wisconsin

7 dead including suspect at Sikh temple

Pray for the victims and their families.

In Formerly Great Britain...

...the NHS in Manchester has banned the use of paperclips by its employees. Why? One employee cut her finger on one.

Give me a second...1...2...3...

Holy Jumping Jehoshaphat. You've got to be f#$&ing kidding me! THIS is yet one more reason it's formerly Great Britain.

Actually, when I read the Cajun's post my first thought was it had to be a joke. It's not.

H/T to the Cajun.

Big Money...

...from over at Big Lizard.

So... Mitt and Ann Romney are rich. The way that the mainstream media and leftie opinion outlets are trumpeting the fact, you'd think it was some huge secret -- or worse yet, a source of shame. What I'm wondering is, where were all these people when John Kerry was running for president back in 2004?

Man-Made

Global-warming skeptics couldn’t be any more vindicated if the entire climate change establishment cried “Never mind!” in unison, then scurried back to their labs to conjure up a new apocalyptic man-made threat they could blame on capitalist success.

H/T to Theo.

Ninty-one years ago today...

...my mother was born. Happy Birthday Mom and many more.

The PET Bottle Launcher RPG-7

Now that's fricking awesome: an RPG water bottle launcher.

Sorry (Not really) to disagree with the charging deputy...

...but there was not one damn thing accidental about what that man did to your cars.

Police: Vermont man crushed cop cars with tractor

H/T to Jeff.

Bill Whittle: Going Out of Business

I vote Texas.

In mass shootings...

...fewer people die when the civilians step up rather than waiting for police. Makes sense. Even in communities where the police have an active shooter protocol, where on arrival they immediately find and engage the shooter, it takes time for them  to get there.

The average number of people killed in mass shootings when stopped by police is 14.3.

The average number of people killed in a mass shooting when stopped by a civilian is 2.3.

H/T to Uncle.

Yes

H/T to Ace.

BATFE Parody Song

Funny.

Looks like you picked the wrong cafe to...

In the best of worlds, we wouldn't have to worry about trash intent on murdering their fellow man. In the real world, THIS is how I hope it ends.

How to #$&% up your livelihood in one easy lesson.

North Carolina is a long way from Katy, TX so the likelihood that I'll ever set foot in Jeremy Alcede's Tactical Firearms was slim to none. Now it's just none. He's entitled to his opinion. I'm entitled to mine. Mine is that I don't do business with those who side with the enemy. Maybe those that live down his way feel the same.

H/T to Tam.

Alison Krauss - A Living Prayer

Just because I'm in that kinda mood.